ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR POWER PLANTS.

The main purpose of a boiler control system is to enable the plant demand to be met as efficiently as possible whilst maintaining safe boiler operation. To meet steam demand, a boiler must be able to respond smoothly to load changes. This is accomplished by integrating steam production control with air, fuel, drum level, and furnace draft control. This paper describes a fully-integrated computer control system, in which plant demand can be met automatically at all times by constant real-time identification of cost efficiencies of all units. The financial benefits are achieved by: improved boiler combustion control; opimum boiler-load allocation; optimum steam sourcing; and optimum purchased/condensed power. Reductions in fuel bills of 3 to 8 per cent have been documented from such fully-integrated computer control systems. This paper explained the operation of the above controls and showed actual results obtained, to date, from a pulp and paper plant in England.